Our first few days in our new home

It feels surreal. We are finally here. Sweden. I havent really called this home in a long time. 

We arrived thursday a little tired and very hungry. I think we would have arrived feeling better if we would have gotten fed on the flight or if the parents sitting in the row behind us could control their two little ones. After about four hours of constant kicking on the back of my seat, i asked the dad if he could please make his son stop. He just looked at me as if i had just asked him for something terrible. With his eyes empty, he just asked me:"don't you have children?" Wtf?! So i asked the little boy, maybe three years old, if he could please stop. "Ok" was his response and guess what. He did. Why "dad" was that so hard?....

It was so good to see my parents! I haven't seen them in four years and it felt good to hug them again. We made a quick pit stop for food and then on to the apartment. We had no expectations of what it was going to look like and we figured it would be empty with the exceptions of our famous boxes that we sent over ahead of us. We thought that we would spend the night at my parents house out in the country and go shopping the next day. Boy where we wrong! The apartment was pretty much all set up. There was even a coffeemaker complete with its goodies and breakfast in the fridge. Even cellphones and internet. We got spoiled. Emma's room was painted pink just like she asked mormor (grandma) and one wall of Hello Kitty wallpaper. Its so cute! And as the frosting on the cake, the apartment came with this cute pink bike in Emma's size.... Thanks dad! Thanks mom! 

Since my parents are back to work we took friday "off" and spent it exploring our new neighborhood. It was a nice day, but way colder then what we have grown custom to. A sweater was sure needed! 

Saturday was spend shopping. This might come as a chock, but we spent so much time in stores that i think i have gotten my shopping fill for a while. And yes, i think we spent three!! hours at Ikea..... Well, when we were all done we got all the last things we needed and wanted. That evening we had to hurry to get most of it set up so we could watch the Hammarby soccer game on the new tv! Mickan flew back from her vacation in Spain and came straight over, which made Emma's night!

Sunday was spent putting together some furniture and mostly unpacking our boxes. Mickan came over and took Em to the park right next door and stayed for dinner. Again, Em was in heaven! 

Well, i guess that we cant only do fun stuff, so today we took care of the most important stuff on our to-do list. Dave's "green card" and getting Em to officially become a Swedish citizen. We expected long lines and lots of waiting but we were in luck and we were in and out in no time! Thank goodness! 

Is it time to relax yet?.... Not sure. Lets see what tomorrow brings......

Last night.....

Its our last night in the US and emotions are running high. What has been a seventeen year ride will finally some to a stop and its time to get off this one and on to another. Its been over eight months of planning and preparation and its finally game time. 

Emma was having an emotional battle as we tucked her in to bed. She is excited,scared and nervous. She is both happy and sad. The laughter and close to tears all at once. Afraid for the unknown. She miss her friends, her school and her family, but at the same time excited to see family and start a new adventure. After talking for a bit she finally said; i trust you guys. Our little princess is so very brave!

I am so excited to go home but scared and nervous at the same time so i can completely understand her emotional stress and inner battle. I know that it will all be ok but i also know that it will much better once we find us some jobs. And hopefully that will happen rather sooner than later. I hope to start working here soon, before our life savings run out.....

But i have faith, and i have my rock and our princess right next to me during this next step, so i know it will be fine. Heck, it will be better then fine. 

I am ready for this. Tomorrow we fly out, leaving our "normal" life behind, to find our new normal. Its with a big leap of faith, surrounded of great love and trust, i will step on our next ride. Lets see what the future will hold!

Dave and Emma: i love you guys more than words can express and there is no one else i would rather take this ride of life with. To the moon and back, twice!

We made it to Denver

We finally made it to Denver. It was a pretty relaxed drive over and traffic was good, but the best thing was the talks that we got to have and the silence too. We decided to stop at the outlets shops for a little bit and also made a pit stop at Cherry Creek mall. Man that brought back lots of memories. Funny how both me and Dave at the same time, pointed out that the mall still smells the same! We are weird i know, but thats why we fit together so good! 

We made it to Jo and John's house by dinner and as always John's cooking is the B.O.M.B!

Just enjoying the noises that only a city can bring, and Emma and Jo decided to go for a walk. 

Love a nice evening with the family!

Like a kid at christmas,

Oh, who am i kidding. Like me at christmas! You all know that feeling. The excitement. My whole body, mind, and soul is like the crowd at a concert when finally the main act takes the stage. I am so excited to go home, to start a new adventure with my little family. To have my family and friends close by. We have been here in Colorado for 12 days and it has been wonderful. Nice to see Dave's parents and his extended family. We had a get together down at our old bar in the company of great old friends. I really enjoyed that night. 

Emma have been busy too,  playing with her friend from kindergarten. The two of them seems to not have missed a beat, even thou its been a year since they last saw each other and just over two years since we moved from Junction. But we all know thats how it is with great friends. No matter how much time have passed, you still fit right back. She has also spend lots of time with her cousins. 

Dave keep asking me if i am ready to be the head of this family?.....since when was i not in charge?.....

I know there will be a lot of new things ahead, and even more so for Dave, but i am ready for the challenge. I will do my very best of guiding us all in the right direction. 

Time goes by fast, they say, but right now i feel as if it is almost standing still!

Colorful Colorado

We arrived to Grand Junction, CO saturday evening. It was so awesome to finally be able to hug, hold and just be with Em. I have missed her so much!❤

After being both jobless and homeless, not one day have passed that i have not had to set the alarm in the morning. We have been so busy this last week. Its kind of crazy that it's only six days since our last day at work but yet we have sold two cars, cleaned out and left our rental house, stayed two nights with great friends in Phoenix and left Arizona just in time. It was 54 degrease Celsius the day we left, and that is too hot for me! Getting to Colorado with all its beauty has been great. Totally spaced the whole altitude thing but my lungs were reminded of that burning feeling today....

I wanted to see the majestic beauty that the mountains hold one more time. So i got Dave and Em to go with me. We decided to hike up to Hanging Lake. If you have never been, its a hike up the side of the mountain until you get to this plateau near the top, shielded by mountain tops and the canyon. There is only one way up to this beauty and you better be ready. Altitude, less oxygen, lack of water, and fatigue are just some of the reasons a few people did not make it to the top. It was a perfect day to just soak in mother nature's beauty. hanging lake was as pretty as i had remembered. Em did awesome. She loved the "reward" of her first hike.